May 6 is declared a day of mourning in the region by the governor’s decree.

"The farewell ceremony will be held at 10.00 local time (8.00 Moscow Time) in the village of Gorodki in Tyulgansky district, then the funeral will be held at the local cemetery," a source in the regional government has told TASS.

More than a thousand of people are expected to bid farewell to him. Taking part in the ceremony will be presidential envoy in the Volga Federal District Mikhail Babich, Orenburg Region Governor Yuri Berg, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov and head of the North Caucasus Republic of Ingushetia Yunus-Bek Yevkurov.

On Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other defense officials bid farewell to Prokhorenko at Chkalovsky airfield outside Moscow before sending his body to the Orenburg regioin.

"We have lost a reliable combat comrade, a courageous and faithful son of the Fatherland. A true officer, a fearless combatant and a patriot, he performed his military duty with dignity. He sacrificed himself while defending the national interests of Russia and peace on Syrian soil," Nikolai Pankov said at the farewell ceremony.

Senior Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko was killed in action while directing Russian air strikes against militants of the Islamic State group (outlawed in Russia) near the Tadmor community, Homs province. When surrounded by the enemy, Prokhorenko ordered an air strike on himself.

He was posthumously awarded the Hero of Russia title.

The Orenburg authorities have made a decision to name one of the city’s streets in Prokhorenko’s honor.